She didn't even know
by LouBird92
Summary: There is a lot more to this story than meets the eye. Kate was called to a poss. murder suicide at one of NYC's foster homes. Little did Kate or Rick realise they would find one girl that would change her life forever!  Hope you like it
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys here's a new story of mine. Let me know what you think through reviews. If you enjoy I will continue it, if not well I'll still continue it but just won't publish it :)**

Chapter 1

"Beckett" the brunette detective answered at 11.30 am from the lounge room of her New York apartment, she was only on call today after working 2 weeks without a day off, but of course it would be her luck that the murders of NYC wouldn't give her a small break.

The detective listened to dispatch recall the details of a double shooting that may or may not be a murder suicide. As the lady on the other end read out the address, Kate realized that the address was one of the many foster homes in New York that Rick makes donations to yearly.

"Got it. Thanks, ETA is 20 mins, let the ME on scene but nobody touches the bodies till I get there" Movement of the bodies before the lead investigator gets there always makes it harder in possible murder suicide cases.

~CASKETT~

When Kate arrived on scene about 15 kids were standing outside crying, she counted, the bigger ones comforting the scared little ones even though they were looking so scared themselves. Kate smiled sadly at the group, coming together when they need each other. She was too caught up in the sight of 15 kids without a home that she didn't hear Rick approach.

"What we go, boys?" Kate asked her following detectives as she walked into the living room of the vic's house with a curious writer on her tail, she couldn't believe that after almost 3 years of tailing her he wasn't bored. Ryan and Esposito weren't like her trainees but more like her team members and she treated them like a part of her team, giving them the responsibilities of her coworkers.

"Kenneth and Rachael Tibbett, foster parents to 16 kids of all ages but no kids themselves. With the positioning of the bodies and the gun in Kenneth's hand it looks like a murder suicide but Lanie won't be able to prove that until she gets them back to the lab and checks for gunshot residue on the husband's hand and the trajectory of the bullet through both vic's skulls."

"Thanks, you boys speak to the neighbours and check if anyone heard anything or knew of any problems they were having to cause Kenneth to shoot his wife then himself" Ryan and Esposito nodded.

"Got it, boss" they said in unison and walked off towards the people standing at the street and Kate went to speak to the ME, Dr. Lanie Parish, with her pet author.

"What you got for us, Lanie?" Kate looked down at the victim's bodies wondering how bad things had to be for this to happen.

"Well, Mr Tibbett over here apparently used a .22 caliber hand gun to put a bullet in his wife's brain and then turned the gun on himself. Time of death is between 8:30 and 10 this morning judging by lividity and blood loss. But I won't know anymore until I get them back to the morgue, so as soon as your CSU boys are down with photographs I'm ready to go"

"Writer – Boy" Lanie nodded acknowledging the writer's presence.

"Lanie" Rick nodded back.

Kate was standing there in thought about something that the boys told her before, 16 kids… but she only counted 15. It was at that moment she heard mild whimpering coming from a room down the hall. Kate ran to the room with the sound coming from under the closed door with Rick right behind her.

"What is it, Kate? Rick inquired

"Sshh" Kate put her finger up to silence him "I think I hear whimpering or crying from the room" Kate stated once she heard the sound for a 3rd and 4th time. As she knocked on the door she heard a 'clang' and shuffling but no one opened the door.

"Rick, stay behind me" she stated drawing her weapon and positioning herself to be at the best angle when opening the door. "NYPD, open the door" Kate called whilst knocking against the hardwood. When no one answered or came to the door she turned the knob as quietly as possible, holding her weapon at the ready.

Once the door opened Kate did a quick sweep but everything was clear "You can come in now, Rick" he entered at her inviting words.

"I hear it too, Kate. It's coming from that side of the room" Rick indicated with a hand signal and Kate nodded, glad she wasn't just hearing things.

Kate walked across the room, towards the cupboard, taking note of any moving objects or slight noises. The cupboard was empty when she looked and so was the ensuite bathroom. Rick held a finger up to Kate as she went to say something and he pointed to under the bed. Both the detective and writer bent down to peak under the queen size bed and both were equally surprised to find a little girl, no older than 7 hiding under the bed. She was laying on her side with her knees tucked up to her chest, hands on her ears and eyes buried against her knees.

Kate tried to coax the little girl out of her hiding place "Come on, sweetie. It's okay, I'm one of the good guys. You're safe now."

The little girl refused to move out from under the bed but instead buried her head further into her knees and held her hands over her ears a little tighter.

Kate tried again "Come on, baby. No one can hurt you now. I'm a detective and the bad guys are all gone"

When the little girl still didn't move Kate looked to Rick, _'Come on, help me out here. You're the father of a little girl' _was what she silently asked her partner.

"Hey sweetie, what's your name?" when the girl didn't answer he continued "that's okay, you don't have to tell me until you want to. My name is Rick and this is Kate." Rick spotted a Nancy Drew book tucked between her legs and chest which gave him an idea "I bet you like to read, don't you? What's your favourite book? Can I guess?" She nodded slightly "Maybe Cinderella?" she shook her head "Okay, not a princess. What about Clifford, the big red dog?" Again another shake of the head "Maybe, just maybe, you like Nancy Drew?" The little girl nodded.

Kate was laying on the floor looking between Rick and the scared child, amazed at Rick's fatherly talents, even with a girl he's never met?

"My little girl loved Nancy Drew when she was your age too. She loved it when I read it out loud to her. Would you like me to read something to you?" Rick asked quietly, trying not to startle her.

Rick could see her hesitating but decided not to push, this little one was a bit like Kate in a way. Stubborn right to the very end but if gently persuaded she'd eventually cave.

The little girl, slowly moved her hand to the book and slid the book away from her body and towards the edge of the bed. When she saw Rick's hand move toward the book she immediately pulled her own hand away but left the book there for him to grab.

The writer noticed that this book was the last of the 'Nancy Drew Mystery Stories' collection. Number 175 if he remembered correctly from when he read it to Alexis in 2003 when it was first published. He wondered whether the child before him was reading this on her own or whether someone was reading it to her.

When Rick didn't immediately start reading to her, the little one under the bed coward back into a little ball hiding from the two adults outside her 'hideaway', Rick noticed and started from the beginning not sure where she was up to.

Kate watched on in amusement as he continued reading, _'No wonder Alexis loved it when he read to her. He does all the voices and everything, making it a whole lot more interesting'_. Thinking it would be best, the detective sat up and watched Rick intently, ignoring the girl.

She did however, notice movement coming from the corner of her vision. 20 minutes into the book and the scared little girl had crawled to the edge of her safe haven but not completely into view. 15 minutes later and she was leaning against Rick's side listening to his great story telling. Even Kate was spellbound, until Esposito came into view at the door. Kate signaled for him to stay where he was and she would meet him out there. Carefully getting up, she left the room quietly to continue with her duties.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

While Kate spoke with Esposito, Castle continued reading to the young girl beside him. When Rick looked down at her she had tear stains across her cheeks, dust clumps in her shoulder length, wavy chestnut colored hair and a thumb in her mouth. He looked her over and found small bruises on her arm and a bruise on her shin. Her clothing wasn't torn but they were two sizes too big, 'probably hand-me-downs' Rick thought.

The writer continued reading to her simply to pass time until Kate got back, he didn't have to wait long. Four pages later and the brunette detective was calling him from the door.

"Castle, can I talk to you in private?" he nodded and tried to get up but the little girl clung to his leg obviously not wanting him to leave.

"Hey there, sweetie pie, I need to talk to my friend Kate. Do you think you can wait here while I do that?" Rick asked gently but panic and tears filled the girls eyes and when she looked up at him he swore she could see right through him, just like a certain detective he knew. Speaking of a certain detective, he looked back up at her then down at the girl again. There was a resemblance between the two. The eyes, same shape and color; the hair was an obvious one then Rick noticed the finer details the nose, ears and even the curve of their lips were similar. He looked once more to the detective, this time speaking with his eyes ' G Rate whatever you want to say; the kid won't let go'.

Kate smiled, even strangers kids are drawn to him. Instead of silently answering him she moved closer slowly, trying not to startle the little girl attached to her partners leg. Rick froze for a moment when Kate leaned over and whispered in his ear "We need to find out her name, how old she is and if she saw anything, Rick. She seems to trust you more than she trusts me" the writer nodded at her not quite asked request, it took all his effort not to focus on Kate's breath on his cheek and her lips grazing his ear.

The writer sat back down on the floor and the child followed, sitting as close as she was before. Kate sat down too, just a little further across from her partner than the child did. This gave her a good look at the orphans features, she gasped causing Rick to look, he knew she saw it too. 'No, it can't be. There is no way… she…. It's just not possible" Kate thought.

"Can you tell me your name?" Rick asked gently, but sighed when the girl yet again shook her head. It was going to take a little bit more than asking this kid so he thought hard at how he could get answers out of her. He had an idea, taking his notepad and pen out of his jacket pocket he put it on the floor in front of her.

"I bet you are such a clever girl. I bet you can write and spell your name. Can't you?" she nodded and Rick internally did a little happy dance. "Can you show me?" he asked again hoping that it would work. When the girl grabbed his pen of the floor another internal happy dance happened.

"A L L I e" was written largely across the page, he wasn't going to correct her for now but the 'e' was drawn backwards and in lower case (when the rest in capital letters) as some little kids do.

"Very good, kid. Excellent. I bet you are an even clever girl and know your numbers don't you?" she nodded in response.

"Can you tell me how many books you've read?" the girl wrote '8'.

"Can you tell me how many feet you have?" the number drawn was '2'.

"Can you tell me how many fingers and toes you have?" the girl wrote '10 + 10 = 20'. This made both Rick and Kate smile.

"Okay, can you tell me how old you are?" Allie hesitated as if she had to think about the answer and then wrote the number '6'. Kate gasped again 'she would be the same age if she didn't…' flew across her brain.

"Very good, you definitely know your numbers but now I need to ask you a very important question, Allie. You might not like what the answer is but we need to know even if is scary. Can you try?" she nodded slowly but the fear had returned to her eyes.

"You know someone hurt your mummy and daddy, don't you?"

This was the first time they had heard Allie make a sound. "They are not my mummy and daddy. They just look after me until my real mummy and daddy come back to get me" It was an angry exclamation, angrier than any 6 year old should be, but she has been through a lot.

"Do you know who your mummy and daddy are? Or where they are?" the little girl shook her head, tears spilling over.

"Nobody will tell me. They say I'm not allowed to know. All the other girls tell me 'when I was dropped off here no one wanted me. My parents never wanted me but I know that's not true. I can feel my mummy always wanted me. But I don't know why she left me here and I want to find out but no one will tell me, Rachael and Kenneth wouldn't and the social worker that comes and checks on us say I'm not allowed to know, little girls wouldn't understand" Allie was crying against Rick's shirt, leaving a wet patch on the material but he didn't mind. He scooped the kid up in his arms and sat her on his lap. He cradled her head against his chest and she clung to the front of his shirt.

"Do you know who hurt Rachael and Kenneth?" the little girl shook her head gently against Rick's firm chest. Kate exhaled, 'thank god she didn't have to witness anything' she thought and the look in her eyes conveyed the same message to the writer in front of her. Looking down at the little girl she missed what she once lost but she hasn't felt this way in years, not since she buried the information in records and decided to put the past behind her.

~CASKETT~

When the two adults convinced Allie to come outside they were met with jeers and taunts from the other kids aimed towards the youngster.

"Hey look, here comes pip squeak" one girl called.

"What did you do ND, get sick of them telling you your parents didn't want you. Coz it's true, that's why we're here." Called another.

"You mummy and daddy never wanted you ND, you're a loser. Not even they police will find them, it's no use telling them your problems" a third child called.

Kate couldn't believe these kids and Allie just burst into tears again. Kate picked the little girl up, trying to hide her away from the others and comfort her as much as possible.

"No wonder she didn't want to come out. She's the groups verbal and sometimes physical punching bag" Rick stated. This made Kate look in confusion she understood the verbal punching bag but not physical, Rick understood her confusion and pointed to the bruises on her body. Kate nodded and kept a hold on the girl.

Her job of investigation the scene was done, her boys, Ryan and Esposito could handle it.

10 minutes later the social worker arrived to transport the kids to another foster home. Ryan had already taken their statement, they had just walked back from the movies to see 'Happy Feet 2' and hadn't been there all morning. Soon, Allie was the only one not in the CPS bus, she latched onto Rick's coat with one hand and Kate's neck with the other. She was scared and didn't want to leave the two.

"Please don't make me go with them, Kate. Please" she whispered. "I'll be good, I promise. But those girls are mean and don't like me. I don't want to live with them anymore" Kate nodded and cooed the little girl.

"Allie is needed at the station with us. She was inside the house when it happened. The other's left her in the house with the foster parents to read while they went to the movies." Kate officially stated. "I will phone to get her files organized and I will send an officer to retrieve them. I want her whole file, no information will be left out, I want everything on all of the girls, including adoption records. It is possible one of the biological parents could be behind it, you understand?" Kate was getting overly emotional with this case, she couldn't work out why but the social worker nodded, closed the door of the van, got in behind the wheel and drove away.

"You're going to come to the police station with Rick and I sweetie. We'll see what we can do about getting a new family for you, hey?"

Allie shook her head "I want my real family. Not another fake one. They always tease me, no matter where I go"

Kate nodded, she was going to see what she could do, but wasn't going to admit that to Allie just in case she couldn't find them or they really didn't want her.

**I know it is a short chapter compared to my usual updates but unfortunately holidays are over and work has begun. Hopefully another update will come tomorrow for this one and KMMRA (of course KMMRA will come first) and maybe even Second Chances in the next couple of days You know the drill, Read & Review. Let me know what you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kate was sitting at her computer waiting for results on the CSU report to come through e-Mail while Rick was sitting in the break room with their junior detective, as members of the precinct had dubbed Allie.

"Rick, why didn't my mummy and daddy want me" Allie asked quietly as she tucked herself further into Rick's chest.

"I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't want a beautiful little girl like you. Maybe they did want you and something happened that they couldn't keep you. I don't know what may have happened but Kate and I are going to try and find out, okay?" Rick consoled the girl, rocking back and forward gently.

It wasn't long until Allie had fallen asleep. Her legs spread out along the vacant spot on the couch and her head on Rick's lap. The writer was sure any movement wouldn't wake the girl at this point, so he removed his leg from under her head slowly and gently, placing her back down on the couch.

"Need a hand, Beckett?" Castle asked walking towards her desk from the break room.

"Just going through the CSU report, I can't find anything suspicious, just have to wait for Lanie to text me when she finishes the autopsies to declare it a homicide or murder suicide. How's Allie? I'm still waiting for her CPS file to come through. If it's not here within half an hour I'll ring them again." When the detective looked up at her partner, he could see something was definitely hurting her, something from her past, it was something that no one else knew about.

"What's the matter, Kate?" Rick asked, his voice laced with concern.

Kate looked shocked at Rick's question 'He always knows when something's wrong' she thought. "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong, just tired I guess. You know, one day off and I end up getting called in"

"Kate, I know that's not the truth. Not completely anyway. You can talk to me, you know that right? I'm here to listen, always"

"Thanks Rick, but I'm just tired. As horrible as it may sound I'm hoping this case was nothing more than a murder suicide. I can find out where the kid belongs, go home and relax in a bath with a good book"

"Would a good book so happen to be one written by myself?" Rick asked, trying to make her smile and it worked.

"I was thinking maybe Patterson's new book would work" Kate teased.

Rick feigned hurt "Detective, you disappoint me. I thought you had more class than Patterson"

"Obviously not if you even considered the thought of me reading a book written by you"

"Again Detective, I'm hurt. The New York review of books, not the New York Times book review, mind you. The New York review of Books" Rick raised his eyebrow and pointed a finger at the detective "said that Derek Storm is this generations answer…"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Kate cut him off "Mmhmm, I read that piece. And even you have to admit that it's more than a little hyperbolic." Kate got that sly look in her eye and switched from foot to foot "So how much did you pay the reviewer"

"A case of Châteauneuf-du-Pape; But that's not the point, the point is you read the New York Review of Books?" Rick asked a little surprised.

Kate looked at Rick cheekily with a smile on her face "Oh, so many layers to the Beckett Onion; however will you peel them all?"

"Even you must admit, I've done a fairly good job at peeling off a few layers"

"That you have, Ricky boy. But there are still many layers left" said the detective 'and a few skeletons behind them' she added in her mind.

"Kate, Rick… Have you found anything about my mummy and daddy yet?" a little voiced asked as the girl walked towards them rubbing her eyes.

"Not yet, sweetheart, I'm going to ring Child Services soon and ask them to send it very quickly okay?" Kate said sweetly bending down to the girls level "Come here, darling girl" Kate continued holding her hands out as the little girl walked closer, wrapping her arms around the Detectives neck.

"Are you hungry or thirsty?" Kate asked the girl but she shook her head

"But there is something, Kate" she replied shyly

"Whatever it is, you can tell me"

The little girl looked up hesitantly at Rick and then back to Kate but instead of talking she just buried her face in Kate's neck.

"Castle, can you go and get me a coffee from the break room please?" Kate though it was maybe something she was nervous asking about it in front of a man, after all she had mainly lived with girls all her life. Castle nodded and walked away "Okay, munchkin. He's gone now, what did you want to ask me?"

"I need to go potty, really bad. Can you take me, please?" Kate laughed at the expression on Aliie's face, she looked like she was trying desperately not to have an accident down the front of the detective's shirt.

"No worries, munchkin." She bent down and left a note for Rick and carried the little girl to the toilets.

By the time they got back, Rick and the coffee were sitting at her desk. Rick was holding a yellow manila folder from CPS but Kate had also gotten a text from Lanie asking to meet her in the morgue. CPS could wait 15 minutes, she really just wanted to wrap up the case of the dead foster parents as soon as possible, she really hoped that it was a murder suicide.

"Okay, munchkin. We are going to see my friend Lanie. But you have to promise to keep the blindfold on when we get down there until we say you can take it off. Okay?"

She nodded and stuck her thumb back in her mouth; Kate noticed that she sucked her thumb when she was nervous or thinking hard.

"We will carry you through a big room and into a smaller room, when we get into the smaller room you can take the blindfold off but you are not to leave there, you can't follow us into the big room. When Rick and I are ready to leave we will come and put the blindfold back on and carry you out again. Do you understand, no leaving the small room." Kate clarified. She really didn't want this little one to see the dead bodies of her foster parents, she had been through enough already.

10 mintues later they were standing outside the morgue, tying Rick's tie over Allie's eyes. Entering into the room, Lanie looked up and was going to start speaking until she saw the girl in Kate's arms, instead she just raised an eyebrow.

"I'll explain later but she needs to sit in your office, it unlocked?" Kate asked and Lanie nodded.

Kate kept walking towards the small office in the corner of the room and once she entered she put Allie down on the chair, closed the blinds into the bigger room and took the blind fold off the girls eyes. "Okay remember what I said? No leaving this room, I'll shut the door so you can't hear any bad things and then I'll come back for you okay?"

Allie looked hesitantly but nodded, she still wasn't talking unless she had to.

"Okay Lanie, what do you have for me?" Kate asked as she walked back into the outer room and shutting the small office door.

"It was definitely a murder suicide. The husband shot the wife approximately 15 minutes before he took the gun to his own head. There's gun residue on the husband's hand, the wife was shot close range and the husband has burn marks from the barrel of the gun against his forehead. Your day's work is over."

"Now, what's with the kid? Should she be with CPS?"

"She didn't want to go with them and I felt a connection with her. I'm going to track down her parents and see what happened, why they didn't want her or if they did why they gave her up and haven't come back. If that comes out a bust I guess I'll have to send her back to CPS but until then she's with us. The CPS file is on my desk, I was going to sit down and read it after I came down here." Kate explained.

"Uh huh. Right, you felt a connection with a little girl you've never seen before." Lanie asked disbelievingly.

"Yea, I dunno why Lanie. But I did"

"You know, she kinda looks like you, Kate. If I didn't know you any better I would say she could be your kid. But that's impossible, isn't it?" Rick said finally joining in the conversation quietly so the little girl in the other room couldn't hear what was being said.

Kate shook her head "No, it's not possible" she said solemnly walking over to the office to get the child in question.

"What's with her, Lanie? She sounds like I hit a soft spot. But she's never been pregnant, has she?"

Lanie shook her head just as Rick came to a realization 'the gasp when seeing what she looked like, the gasp at the age of the child, the sudden depressed nature, the want to protect the child from harm's way.' He gasped at the conclusion his imagination came too 'not possible, she would have told me something that important, wouldn't she?' he thought.

But before he could say anything to the ME Kate reappeared with the blindfolded Allie. "You coming, Rick? "

Rick nodded and followed behind the detective and small child like a loyal puppy dog, making Lanie shake her head in amusement and go back to finishing the autopsies.

Half way up to the Homicide floor Rick decided to ask Kate straight "Kate, you don't have a kid hiding somewhere, do you?"

Kate shook her head but before she could say anything else the elevator stopped, the doors opened and a few other people walked in.

"Kate, can I take the blindfold off now?" Allie asked sweetly

"You sure can, munchkin. You were a very good girl in Lanie's office. You listened to everything I said. I think that deserves an ice-cream after I finish work, don't you?"

The little girl nodded and silence fell between them, little did Rick know his comment brought a tear to his favorite detective's eye.

"Thank god, you're back" was the greeting Beckett got from Esposito after they stepped off the elevator. CPS has been ringing and ringing looking for you. They want to know when they can send someone to pick Allie up and find her a home for the night"

"They're not getting her back tonight. She's staying here, with us. If CPS complain let them know Allie has been complaining about being verbally and physically bullied from the girls she's been sharing with in the foster homes and I will be filing a complaint with the department about her case worker's protection duties" Kate stated a little too harshly for the occasion.

"You got it, boss." Was the reply Kate got from her fellow detective but 'what's up with her' was the look that Castle got, giving a shrug as an answer.

When Beckett got back to her desk, she found a Barbie movie with a note _"Dad told me you were looking after a little girl from a foster home today and I realized you might not have anything for her to do at the precinct. This should keep her amused for a couple of hours. Love Alexis"_

Kate smiled down at the note and smiled back up at Rick who looked just as surprised as Kate but had a look of pride in his eyes, pride in his daughter and her thoughtfulness.

"Hey munchkin, Look at what Rick's daughter brought you to watch. You want to sit on the break room couch and watch Barbie, while Rick and I get some work done?" Kate asked the little girl, bending down to her level. Allie nodded and held her hand out for Kate to hold, Rick smiled as they walked to the break room 'she would make a great mother' was the thought that ran involuntarily across his mind.

Kate came back with two coffees and a smile on her face, handing one coffee to Rick while sitting down and taking a sip of her own she picked up the file and began to read. Case notes of behavior, she was withdrawn from social contact, didn't get along with the girls very well. She had been sent to several child psychiatrists about her Nancy Drew obsession, which her answer to that question was 'if I find out how Nancy Drew solves mysteries I can find my parents myself'.

"Wait, ND. Nancy Drew." Kate whispered.

"What was that?" Castle asked

"ND. The kids were calling Allie ND. ND is Nancy Drew. She wants to be like Nancy Drew, so she can find her parents without the help of CPS" with that Kate went back to reading her file.

It went on to describe her personality; words like quiet, shy, likes to read, polite, short tempered, stubborn, independent, intelligent were used.

"No wonder Allie has adopted the idea that her family is out there and wants her; she mustn't have felt wanted all her life. It says here she has been through 5 homes in 6 years, and the longest one was when she was a newborn to almost 2 yrs"

"She's just been thrown around like a rag doll. She needs a family, Kate. Not to be Debby Downer or anything but who's she staying with tonight? You've only got one bedroom" Rick said quietly so little ears definitely couldn't hear.

"Umm, I didn't think of that. I don't want to send her back to Social Services, Rick. She'll just keep getting thrown around" Kate admitted furrowing her brow and chewing on her bottom lip.

"I've got two spare rooms, Allie can take one and if you want to you can take the other, until we can sort out her family situation. Are the adoption papers in the folder? Maybe you can find out who it is from them."

"I asked for all her adoption records as well but I don't think they will give them too me without a fight. Not if it was a closed adoption anyway." Kate knew she had to answer the first part of Rick's question but she wasn't sure if staying at his place was a good idea. She knew his intentions were pure and she could trust him but could she trust herself? "I'll check for them later, there is nothing we can do tonight and tomorrow is Saturday so I won't be able to get in contact with anyone from CPS until Monday. "And Rick, thank you. I would love it if we could stay at the loft. Are you sure Martha and Alexis won't mind?"

"Alexis will love having a little girl to do girly things with, Disney movies, manicures, hair you name she'll be there. And mother, we'll she just goes with the flow"

Both Rick and Kate smiled as they got up and moved to the break room to find Allie dead to the world. She was laying on the couch with one thumb in her mouth, an arm over her head facing the back of the seat with Barbie singing in the background.

* * *

><p><strong>Hi guys,<strong>

**Hope you like the new update. I'm sure many of you are thinking you know where this is going but it does have a twist, I've just got to get there**. **Please read and leave a ****review. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

After finding Allie asleep on the couch Rick and Kate both felt it would be best to try not to wake her, after all, she has had a rather big day for such a little girl. So instead of making her walk, Rick picked her up, one hand under her knees and one under her back, cradling the little girl like he did Alexis 8 years ago when she was around the same age.

"Are you ready to go, Beckett?" Rick whispered once he made sure he wasn't going to drop Allie.

"Yep, let's go" Kate replied, after she grabbed the DVD out of the TV unit to return to Alexis once they got back to the loft.

"Thank you again for this, Rick. It means a lot. I don't know why but I just feel a connection with this little girl. I want to try and help her or at least do what I can to make her better off" Kate admitted.

"Kate, I know there is something wrong. I'm not going to push, you can tell me when and if you want to but I know there is something off about you today. Ever since you saw Allie, you saw what I saw didn't you?" Rick whispered into Kate's ear, trying to keep Allie as still as possible in the back of the taxi.

"She looks like me. I know you saw it, I saw it too. And I bet if Dad stayed sober enough to look at her he would see it too." Kate admitted.

"Do you have a daughter in foster care, Kate?" Rick asked, prepared for an ear bashing from the Detective for prying into her personal life once again.

"No, I don't, Castle" Kate replied. "You can stop holding your breath, writer boy" she said forcing a smile onto her face but it didn't reach her eyes and Castle could see it, he wasn't fooled.

Knowing it wasn't the right time to press on with the matter of Kate's family life the writer decided to change subjects "What are our plans for this little one?"

"I honestly, don't know. I'm going to look through her file, see if I can find anything that'll lead to her birth parents. I just hope they've provided the adoption records in the file, if not I will ring CPS first thing Monday morning and request them, if I have to I will state they don't want me getting a court order because I will point out negligence on their part. If I can find them, you and I will go and see them, let them know their child would like to meet them, if they are interested we can set something up, if not I guess we'll have to break the news to Allie" Kate responded. "But I think tonight, we'll put her to bed and maybe you and I can get ready for bed and watch a movie, just to wind down"

"Sounds like a plan. But… But what if her parent died, how are we going to tell her that?" Rick asked looking a little sad that this could be a possibility.

"If it comes down to that, we will sit her down and explain to her that her parents are in heaven with the angels and they can't come back for her. But we can also tell her that they did want her they just couldn't stay on earth to look after her" Kate replied, thinking about her own mother and the secret she held closest to her heart. Rick knew there was something wrong, he knew she was thinking about her mother but there was something more, another depth to the shadows in her eyes.

Before Rick could ask the taxi had pulled up in front of Rick's building and the driver wanting to be paid. Rick handed over the money plus a 10% tip, once he got out he was able to reach in and pick Allie up without waking her and allowing Kate to step out behind him.

They started walking towards the door; Eduardo the doorman opened it for the trio murmuring greetings and how are you's. In the elevator Allie started to squirm and mutter things in her sleep but settled a minute later, so Kate and Rick didn't think anymore of it.

Kate yawned which caused Rick to yawn "You tired, sleepyhead?" Rick questioned "stop yawning, it's contagious" as they both let out another yawn.

Kate smiled "I'm just looking forward to putting her to bed and relaxing for a couple of hours then sinking myself into those very comfy mattresses of yours and sleeping til lunchtime tomorrow"

When Kate and Rick walked into the loft carrying a sleeping Allie, Alexis came running from the lounge to greet the trio.

"Dad!" she exclaimed stopping short of running into him like usual due to the little girl in his arms. Instead she pretty much jumped on the Detective "Kate! Hi, It's good to see you, it's been ages since you've been round here"

Kate laughed at the young girls enthusiasm, she was different from her father in many ways, sensible, poised, has a 'brain-mouth' filter but in this situation she really was her father's daughter, bouncy and bubbly.

"Hey kid, yeah it's been a while. You've grown taller in the last month and even more beautiful than the last time"

"Kate, you say that every time" Alexis huffed in fake exasperation.

Kate just laughed at the teen's dramatic flair, that she got from her grams "That's because it's true, Lex."

Rick cleared his throat letting the girls know he was still there with a now semi awake Allie.

"Hi, you must be Allie. My name's Alexis" the red head spoke after realizing the girl was awake. Allie just turned her head and buried her face into Rick's neck.

"Hey, it's okay munchkin" Kate stated moving behind Rick to look the little girl in the eyes "This is Rick's daughter"

"Remember, I told you about her earlier. The one who liked to read Nancy Drew when she was your age. I told you she was bigger now" Rick continued from Kate's explanation, bobbing the girl up and down on his hip. "She won't hurt you honey, if you say hello Lex might even play dolls with you or if you're very lucky she might even read you a Nancy Drew book before bed but after hot chocolate and mini marshmallows" Rick stated getting more excited and enthusiastic towards the end of his sentence.

Allie moved her head around to face the red headed teen "Hi" she said quietly "How old are you?" the little one asked.

"I'm 15, how old are you?" The teen replied.

"I'm 6, you won't hurt me like the old kids in the foster home did?" Allie cautiously asked and when Alexis shook her head the little girl smiled and asked to get down.

"Do you have the Nancy Drew movie instead of the books?" Allie asked Alexis as they walked into the living room hand in hand.

"Well, that went better than expected" Kate said to the writer as she walked over to the breakfast bar and sat on a stool "So where's this hot chocolate and marsh mallows, mister?"

"Cracking the whip much, Kate? I only mentioned it like two minutes ago" Rick answered with a smirk

"I can crack a whip in more places than the kitchen, writer boy" Kate flirted back causing Rick to gulp.

"Okay, hot chocolate with 5 mini marsh mallows in each cup coming right up" Rick smiled at his clever rhyme and walked to the fridge and pantry to get the ingredients.

30 minutes later the hot chocolate was finished, Kate and Rick were curled up on the sofa while Alexis was on the recliner with a sleeping Allie in her lap watching Nancy Drew. It was 6.30 and getting close to dinner time "Okay, obviously we're ordering in, who wants what?"

Kate and Alexis both said pizza, Alexis wanting Hawaiian, Kate wanting Pepperoni and Rick wanted BBQ Chicken and Bacon. With Allie still asleep Rick grabbed the phone off the coffee table and went into the kitchen to order. Kate followed closely behind, once Rick had finished the phone call the detective nervously stood on her tip toes and pecked Rick on the cheek.

"Thank you for doing this. You really didn't have to. I don't know what it is, why this girl. But there's something about her that, I don't know. I guess, I want to protect her like a mother would her own child. It's weird but Thank you, really."

"It's no problem, Kate, really. I'm enjoying the extra company and if you're happy I'm happy" The sincerity and love in Rick's made the already present butterflies present flutter inside her stomach that much more.

"Th-thank you" Kate stuttered "I really mean it"

"So do I" Rick answered gently.

~CASKETT~

An hour later pizza had been eaten by all, including Allie, the girls tucked up in bed – Allie choosing to sleep with Alexis – meaning the two were in the spare room with two beds, Kate was laying against the arm of the sofa with her feet up against Rick's thigh on the other end of the couch. Both had a glass of wine on the coffee table, Rick was typing on his laptop and Kate was reading Allie's file.

She was getting into the more 'official' documents now. Foster release papers, Birth Certificate and Kate was hoping somewhere the official adoption records.

Looking through she got to the birth certificate. Full Name: Allegra Johanna _. "Oh my god" Kate gasped loud enough to strike Rick's interest.

"What, What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was just reading her birth certificate. Under full name it states Allegra Johanna but there's no last name. We can't even track the down by that"

"That's sweet, I thought her name was going to be Alexandra or something like that. I like Allegra and I guess Johanna is just a coincidence." Rick knew that the tone Beckett used when saying 'oh my god' was not a disappointed one like she was suggesting but a surprised one, but let it go. She will speak when and if she wants to. '_I need to see that file'_ Rick thought.

Kate continued reading through the file as Rick went back to writing more of his latest Nikki Heat novel. 'Allegra Johanna _ born 19 April 2005.' _'If I didn't know any better I would say that there is no way that this is just a coincidence' _Kate thought _'Where are those bloody adoption papers' _was the next thing to run through her brain as she tried to rifle through the documents to find the specific papers that will tell her what she has been wanting to know.

Finally Kate found them, upside down in the folder. Did she really want to know the truth, of course she did. '_There is no way in hell that it's her, it can't be.' _But as Kate turned the paper over she couldn't believe what she was reading.

'_**I **__**Katherine Beckett**__** surrender any parental rights of **__**Allegra Johanna Beckett**__** on Wednesday 20**__**th**__** April 2005 at 8:15am. In giving up these rights I will not attempt to contact the child until the child in question is 18 years of age unless the child makes contact first.' **_

Kate couldn't believe what she was reading. The official transcript when on to describe more legalities but all that stuck was her daughter wasn't dead like she thought. Her child, her daughter survived the accident. But how and why was she not told. She remembers the moment she found out exactly what happened. Remembering this moment brought tears to Kate's eyes; it got harder and harder to read the document but she realized something on the dotted line, a hand written piece. That was not her signature… it looked more like… No, it can't be…. The first initial is different but that signature looks familiar.

Rick looked over when he heard a sniffle and saw his hard shell detective crying but couldn't work out why. She was now clutching the folder to her chest, looking towards him looking completely shattered. He reached out his arms to comfort her, expecting her to tell him to go away but instead she turned around, laid her head on his thigh, pulled her knees up and allowed the writer to stroke her hair with one hand, rub up and down arm with the other and coo at her, like you would when you calmed a crying child.

**Hi guys; I know I'm slack. I will have another chapter up for you tomorrow afternoon and for KMMRA. Hopefully I'll get a fair bit of writing done before I have to go into hospital.**

**Please read and review and don't get angry because of the late updates**

**xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Once Rick heard Kate's breathing slow and her sniffles stop he realized that the detective had fallen asleep on his leg.

'_Now to find out what sparked that reaction'_ he thought. Reaching over the brunette's body he pried the folder gently from her sleeping arms. He knew it was something about the adoption records or the birth certificate but to what caused the tears he didn't know but was going to find out.

He opened the folder up gently, trying not to move or make enough noise to wake the sleeping lady up, he spotted the adoption papers on top. He scanned through them, thankful once again for his speed reading abilities, all those hours in the library as a kid really paid off.

Once he got to that paragraph in bold, he couldn't believe it. He read it again and again, yet it still didn't sink in.

'_**I **__**Katherine Beckett**__** surrender any parental rights of **__**Allegra Johanna Beckett**__** on Wednesday 20**__**th**__** April 2005 at 8:15am. In giving up these rights I will not attempt to contact the child until the child in question is 18 years of age unless the child makes contact first.' **_

Detective Kate Beckett was the mother of a 6, almost 7 according to Allegra's birth certificate, year old girl. '_That would've made her what, 20-21 when she gave birth' _Rick thought. Why would she give her daughter up for adoption? Does anyone else know she has a kid? Why didn't she tell me? So many questions were rolling through his head and he wanted answers, answers only Kate could give him.

She was finally sleeping though, so he decided to let her continue sleeping and ask at a later time. _'You had to have had a reason for putting her up for adoption, for not raising the life you created. I will support you with whatever you decide to do about the information you have received, Kate. I just need to know, why?' _he silently vowed. _'The pain you must have gone through all these years, not knowing. Not being allowed to know, it must have been so hard.'_

Rick sat on the couch under the sleepy detective for half an hour, just staring. Trying to compute all the information, it was a little overwhelming finding out the woman he loves has a child. It was then that the detective stirred, rolling over to now face him. He felt the moment she realized that her face was buried into his hip, she jumped a little which caused him to let out a giggle.

When she sat up she saw that the little girls, her daughters, file was no longer in her arms but on the arm of the sofa next to the writer. _'He must of read it. I can't blame him, he would be curious as to why I just started crying and looking at his face I can assume he knows'_ Kate thought as she tried to clear her sleep hazed mind.

"So, you know?" she asked hanging her head in shame.

He nodded but stayed silent, figuring she would continue when she was ready.

"It was my 20th birthday" she started "I hadn't been out or really social between my mom's murder and that night. But it was my first birthday without her; I was so upset, so closed off. My dad he was drowning his sorrows with yet another bottle of bourbon." The tears had started to fall again but the detective continued on with the story while the writer sat silently.

"My friends had been planning a big night out. We weren't legal but they knew of a college party we could get into. Jackie's brother was going to sneak them in, I wasn't going to go but they wouldn't take no for an answer. I didn't have the energy to fight back and I couldn't stand being in the house watching Dad drink till he passed out, for the god knows how many nights in a row. So I got dressed up and went."

Kate shifted on the couch so she was leaning against Rick for support. This is the first time she had told anyone about that night and bringing up all these buried memories hurt.

"I know it doesn't make sense now, why I did it, but it did back then. I went out, I started drinking with some of the college guys and I realize why Dad was doing what he was doing. The alcohol took away the pain for a little while. I had a bit too much and I had been flirting with this guy all night and he seemed to like me. He whispered in my ear asking to take our own party to a more private setting, cheesy I know. But I followed him up to one of the rooms and yea, things happened and I woke up the next morning and he was gone."

Kate gulped "10 weeks later I realized that I was very, very late. I hadn't been taking the pill, it was too hard to remember that, try to study for the recruitment exams, work and take care of Dad. I thought the guy at the party had used a condom so I just thought I was late because of the stress until 2 weeks later. I had weird cravings but when I ate I couldn't keep anything down. I was getting fatter, I was naïve and didn't think about the possibility of being pregnant. I made a doctor's appointment and couldn't believe it when he told me I was 12 weeks pregnant. He gave me the option of aborting it because it was unplanned and I was studying to become an officer but I couldn't do it"

Kate was crying now against Rick's side, the writer was rubbing her arm in an up and down motion again "If you wanted her, why did you put her in the system?" he asked gently.

"I didn't" Rick went to say something but she just held a finger up to his lips "The pregnancy was going well but Dad didn't like it. He was still coherent most of the time when I told him, he knew I had a great future ahead of me and didn't want me to keep the baby. He gave me the option, have an abortion or move out. So I moved. I packed my things that night, found an apartment the next day that I could afford, it was tiny but it would do. I spent the left over money from my paycheck each week on things for the baby, furniture, clothes, nappies, everything. I was determined she was going to grow up loved and with everything I could ever want for her"

The detective curled her head even more into Ricks arm, now burying her face into his side and let the tears fall even harder. "I was 24 weeks along when Dad called, he wanted to talk over lunch so I said yes. Hoping he was going to be sober or at least accept that I was going to keep the baby. He wasn't and he wouldn't. It turned into an argument and I stormed out of the restaurant getting hit by a car."

Rick gasped "Oh my god, Kate."

"I was in bad shape but Allegra was worse, I had just found out that she was a girl 2 days before. We had been trying for a couple of weeks but every time her legs were closed. I had decided that her name was going to be Allegra Johanna Beckett. When I got to the hospital they took me straight to surgery. I could hear them saying the baby was in distress and they would have to do an emergency c-section to get her out before it killed both of us. The next thing I remember was waking up in a hospital bed, Dad was there. The first thing I asked was if Allegra was okay, all he could do was shake his head. They asked me what I wanted to call her and I pointed to the baby bag that was with me when I got hit. I had just picked it up, it had her name embroidered in purple to the bottom corner. Dad gave me the name plate from her incubation crib and I told him to go away and deal with everything himself. I didn't speak to him and I wasn't very cooperative with the nurses."

"Oh, Kate. How could this happen, why would your dad tell you that, I can't believe this is happening. I can't even begin to imagine the pain you went through. What are you going to tell her?" Rick asked

"I'm not yet. I'm going to see Dad tomorrow, you and Allegra are coming with me. Could we bring Alexis so she can take her outside when I confront him about it?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Kate? I don't want you to be making a bad situation worse"

"How could it get any worse? My dad lied to me, straight to my face. He saw the pain it caused me, he told me my daughter was dead. He forged my signature and sent her off to be bullied and picked on by strangers. I wanted her to have everything growing up, not this. How could he do it?"

"Okay. We'll go tomorrow after lunch?" Rick stated and questioned at the same time, he knew her dad had only been sober for a year and he really didn't want Kate to do or say anything she might regret later. "But how about now, let's get you into bed."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Not like that. Katherine Beckett, I never" he mocked shocked at her innuendo while she shook her head. "Come on, let's get you something to sleep in and you can finally sink into that guest mattress you were excited about before"

Once inside Rick's room he went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of tracksuit, boxer shorts – giving her the option - and a smaller t-shirt. "You can get dressed in the bathroom; there should be a spare toothbrush in the second draw, left side. I'll change in here and wait to use the bathroom" Kate grabbed the three pieces of clothing and walked into the bathroom. Rick changed into his black, silky boxer shorts and white, form fitting shirt.

5 minutes later Kate emerged from the bathroom in the tracksuit pants and shirt. The pants were pulled tight with the drawstring and the shirt was baggy, but Rick was still speechless at the sight of her in his clothing. "You know the room, yeah? Same one as last time"

Kate nodded "Yeah, I know the one I want" she said with a sly smile as Rick walked into the bathroom. She heard the door click shut and climbed into his bed. Under the quilt she was getting a little hot in the long pants and decided to switch into the red boxer shorts that Rick offered and climbed back under the covers.

Rick was shocked to find the Detective asleep in his bed, the covers pushed down to her waist but not past her hips. Walking over to the side of bed she was laying closet to he pulled the covers up properly and kissed the top of her head. He went to walk away but was surprised when her hand grabbed his wrist.

"Stay" she whispered. He wasn't even sure he heard it or imagined it. "Please, I know I'm hard to get to know Rick and you can't always read what I'm thinking or how I'm feeling but you are so much easier to read. Stay with me, I don't want to be alone, not tonight" She whispered a little louder, now lying on her back facing him.

Rick just nodded and walked around to the other side of the bed. He slid under the covers and tried stay as far away as possible, feeling like he would be violating her trust if he was to touch her. That was until she rolled over so her back was to him and snuggled into his chest. Rick's breathing stopped when he felt her long, smooth, bare legs against his own, she reached around to find his arm and brought it around her and left his hand on her stomach.

"Thank you, Rick. For everything"

"Always"

Both writer and detective fell asleep with grievances in their hearts but small smiles on their faces.

* * *

><p><strong>So there's the story of What happened to Allegra. I hope you like it. I drew my inspiration from a movie August Rush. I don't own this, nor do i intend to cause problems by adding into my story. Yada Yada Yada. It is a great and truely inspirational movie, you guys should really check it out.<strong>

**I hope you like it. See I promised another chapter today :)**

**Happy Reading and Reviewing. I know there are a few of you reading this and would love to know what you think.**

**Thank you to all of those that have consistently reviewed. Even tho I don't always get round to answering you, i do read what you say :)**

**Thanks again**

**Kristyl xx  
><strong>


	6. UPDATE MESSAGE

Hi all

I love the Idea for this story and I promise you I will continue it, but as I published it without a considerable amount of planning I am finding my timeline is a bit muddled up so I need to sit down, re-write a few things and either update all chapters on this copy or just upload a new version. I will let you know what I choose to do, put me up author alerts (if you haven't already) just in case.  
>I hope to work things out soon, I've had a rough couple of weeks and as a uni student, work etc is keeping me rather busy but I will try to pump this one out asap as well as KMMRA. As some may see Second Chances is getting a remake as well, this was simply because of lack of planning and having trouble continuing on with the story line – a bit like this one<p>

Thank you again to all my readers and reviewers. I really do love to hear what each and every one of you think, even though I don't always reply, I always read them.


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